Any advice for someone who loves to write but gets hit way to often with an overwhelming feeling of it not being good enough? That their writing isn't as good as some big names in the fandom? I write all the time but rarely, if ever, post them anymore because I feel like my writing is nothing worth reading or that my ideas have been done to death.
*hugs* it sounds like you’re in a bad place with writing right now. I think holding off on posting is a valid choice to make if it’s making you unhappy. Writing is still writing even if you never share it with anyone.
When it comes to fandom writing, popular doesn’t necessarily mean better quality. There are lots of popular writers whose writing is arguable mediocre. There are lots of writers with fantastic writing skills who don’t get a lot of hits.
The nature of fanfiction is that people are (generally speaking) looking for certain tropes or emotions etc. when they’re looking for fic. Not getting attention just means that you’re not writing the things that the larger part of fandom is really interested in. That’s totally fine. Not everyone likes the same things.
As for ideas being done to death, this is really not an issue that readers worry about. There are tons of posts floating around tumblr and other social media that say something along the lines of, “I want to read exactly this story, but just a little bit different because I’ve already read this one.” People love reading the same stories over and over again. Why do you think remakes are so popular? Why do people rewatch favourite movies and TV shows? There’s comfort in the familiar.
Not to mention the two cakes theory.
My advice? Be kinder to yourself. Don’t let numbers get you down. Try not to compare yourself to other people. Be proud of your writing. You worked hard on it.
And in the meantime, consider getting a beta or two. You can show your writing to a smaller group of people and get genuine feedback on it. If you only want to hear the good, tell them that. We all need a cheerleader sometimes. Having one or two people who’s opinion matters to you can sometimes be better than having 10 people you don’t even know.
The longer I spend in fandom, the more I feel that this whole concept of “quality” in writing is the equivalent of “how long is a piece of string”? If something about that writing speaks to you, communicates to you, it’s good. I really don’t think there’s any objective criteria for ‘good’ writing. Right now there are a couple of writers I’m following for whom I’m the only commenter/reviewer. They’re not getting a lot of hits. But I adore what they’re working on and would really feel devastated if they gave up because they felt it wasn’t worth it. I can see them growing their craft and figuring out their headcanons and plot beats with every chapter they write. Reading their fic is pure delight. I wish more people would ‘hit them up’, but I appreciate that my taste isn’t everyone’s.
While I do kind of understand the feeling that if you’re not writing for a large audience it’s not worth writing at all, I think it’s important to stop and remember how treasured your writing may be by your small but dedicated audience.
Okay here’s a question. Who has heard of Johnny Depp? Now I know Depp’s become pretty problematic, but nobody can deny he’s one of the most famous and recognisable actors in the world today
Now, who’s heard of Paul Whitehouse?
Guess who Johnny Depp considers to be the greatest actor of all time? That’s right, Paul Whitehouse.
creating… sometimes feels so tricky. i personally sometimes let myself get caught up in comparing hit counts and kudos, comments, places on rec lists or lack thereof. i let these things wholly quantify the quality of my work when really it’s just a part. a piece of the whole equation i should use to consider something i’ve made.
i think it’s a constant work in progress to first determine and then actually remember why i do any of it, why i write, why i subject myself to the rollercoaster of emotions that is creation. some days it’s clear, some days it’s much more opaque. that’s okay, i’m human. and some days i love what i’ve created and no amount or lack of hits or comments can change my mind, but sometimes that foundation of self confidence is a lot less sound. and that’s okay too. it’s something to be aware of and to try and work on, if i feel strong.
anyway this is a long winded thing just to say i found some relatable solace reading these responses above and hope my fellow writer/creator friends who maybe feel Some Type of Way once and a while do, too.
There are always, always fics out there that are amazing yet somehow just don’t find an audience for whatever reason. When I do recs, I always try to focus on those instead of the fandom favorites that everyone’s read. Even if you don’t get a thousand kudos (or even a hundred), remember that your story might be someone’s favorite! You might have hit on just the characterization they like, or did the trope in just the right way for them.
Also, remember that the only way to get better at writing is to write. When it comes to writing for actual publication, I’ve heard things like “your first million words will be trash” or “your first novel will sit in a drawer unread and that’s okay.” Now, on the one hand, personally I find these ideas terrible and demotivating. BUT on the OTHER hand, luckily we are writing fanfiction, not novels for publication! That means that people will read it. I thought the idea of my first novel never being read was depressing until I realized that I’ve already written a couple of novels! They probably wouldn’t be publishing quality, but people loved them anyhow.
And I guarantee you, I am a better writer now, with over 700,000 words posted on Ao3 and another 650,000 written but not posted, than I was when I wrote my first 100,000 words. Some of my early fics are truly not good, but they got me where I am.
And, by the way, I’ve posted four Zimbits soulmate AUs and every time people comment that they can’t get enough soulmate AUs, so don’t worry about your ideas being done to death. Fic readers LOVE our tropes.
I second the idea of getting a beta, too. Someone who can serve both as a beta to help you fix things, and as a cheerleader - who will leave positive comments as much as critical notes to keep you motivated! Or sometimes it’s good to have separate people for those jobs. Some people are just way better at cheerleading than nitpicking, and vice versa.
